2Newark, NJ – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Douglas Manning , a civilly committed individual housed at New Jersey’s Special Treatment Unit, who accused Governor Phil Murphy and corrections officials of unlawfully keeping him confined past his release date.

Manning, who is classified as a sexually violent predator under state law, filed the case pro se in state court before it was removed to federal court. In his amended complaint, Manning alleged that corrections officers and administrators at East Jersey State Prison and the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center violated his rights under the New Jersey Constitution. He claimed that in April 2024 officers informed him his “max date” of imprisonment had expired, yet instead of releasing him, they transferred him

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